SNU Academics Seek Verification of Hwang Research MBC Union Unrepentant Over Hwang Expose Hwang Team Pre-Empts SNU Bid to Verify Research Cloning Pioneer Visits Lab From Hospital Top Geneticists Call on Hwang to Help Confirm Findings Hwang Defends Stem Cell Research U.S. Scientist Withdraws Name From Hwang Paper Hwang Scandal Splashed Across Global Front Pages SNU Sets Up Panel to Check Hwang Research Stem Cells Don’t Exist: Hwang Associate What Went Wrong in the Hwang Affair? Researcher Says Hwang Stem Cell Research Accurate Hwang Grilled as SNU Inquiry Gets Under Way Fresh Mixup Casts Doubt on Cloning Pioneer’s Research Widening SNU Probe Seals Off Hwang’s Lab Hwang Achievements Succumb to Domino Effect Schatten Requested US$200,000 for 'Effort' MBC Producer, Hospital Chief Grilled in Hwang Probe

The panel said Tuesday it identified the list of stem cells held by Hwang’s research team and secured teratoma tissue derived from the stem cells and used to document a paper published in Science in May. It could ask experts to analyze the DNA fingerprints of the frozen stem cells and teratoma tissue within two or three days, the panel said.

Scientists expect to know for sure whether the six patient-tailored stem cells Hwang claims to have had when publishing the 2005 paper existed or not, given that DNA analysis usually takes two or three days. The SNU panel said the amount of teratoma tissue was enough for DNA tests.

The panel said it will seek expert analysis this week once the thawed stem cells have been cultured sufficiently. Hwang said last Thursday he would prove that he has the source technology to make patient-specific stem cells once cells kept for cross-checking have been unfrozen and cultured.

Stem cell expert Hwang Woo-suk enters the Veterinary College of Seoul National University on Tuesday morning.

The SNU committee also said it obtained records of the egg cells used in Hwang’s research between Sept. 17 last year and Nov. 8 this year, suggesting it is checking a claim by MizMedi Hospital chief Roh Sung-il that Hwang used up some 1,000 ova to create stem cells, not 185 as he claims in the paper. It did not say how many eggs Hwang’s team used.

Tuesday was taken up with analysis of research materials following Monday’s combing of all experimental logs and computer files and questioning of Hwang’s team. The panel will announce interim results of its probe at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

(englishnews@chosun.com )